Laser sample chamber for deep space exploration

Abstract

A laser sample chamber for deep space exploration includes a sample chamber base and a sample chamber top cover. The sample chamber base is a hollow cylinder with bottom end being sealed and top end being open, and an internal cavity in the hollow cylinder is provided for receiving sample plates; and a body of the sample chamber top cover is a hollow cylinder with a top end being sealed and a bottom end being open, and the body consists of a plurality of components which comprise a hollow annulus positioned at a middle of the sample chamber top cover, a circular viewing window positioned at an opening at a top end of the hollow annulus, and a threaded port positioned at an opening at a bottom end of the hollow annulus and protruding outward.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A laser sample chamber for deep space exploration, comprising:
 a sample chamber base ( 6 ), formed as a first hollow cylinder with a bottom end being sealed and a top end being open, an internal cavity ( 7 ) of the first hollow cylinder is provided for receiving sample plates, and the first hollow cylinder is provided with a thread ( 8 ) at its inner surface; and 
 a sample chamber top cover ( 1 ), a body of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) formed as a second hollow cylinder with a top end being sealed and a bottom end being open, the body comprising: 
 a hollow annulus ( 3 ) positioned at a middle of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ), 
 a circular viewing window ( 2 ) positioned at an opening at a top end of the hollow annulus, and 
 a threaded port ( 4 ) positioned at an opening at a bottom end of the hollow annulus and protruding outward, 
 wherein the circular viewing window ( 2 ), the hollow annulus ( 3 ) and the threaded port ( 4 ) are closely connected, and central axes of the circular viewing window ( 2 ), the hollow annulus ( 3 ) and the threaded port ( 4 ) are coincident with each other, the bottom end of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) is inserted into the internal cavity of the sample chamber base ( 6 ) to provide a sealed environment for the sample plates; 
 wherein the threaded port ( 4 ) of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) and the sample chamber base ( 6 ) are high vacuum sealed by employing a flange cutting edge ( 10 ) positioned on a top surface of the sample chamber base ( 6 ) and an oxygen-free copper gasket ( 9 ) positioned on a bottom surface of the hollow annulus ( 3 ) of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ), and wherein the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) is rotated progressively close to the sample chamber base ( 6 ) to press and bring an inner wall of the oxygen-free copper gasket into contact with an outer side of the flange cutting edge; 
 wherein the flange cutting edge ( 10 ) is provided with an annular groove ( 11 ) on its periphery for providing a movement space for the oxygen-free copper gasket ( 9 ); and 
 wherein a cross section of the annular groove ( 11 ) is an open trapezoid with a wide top and a narrow bottom, a diameter of the groove being the same as a diameter of an outermost circumference of the copper gasket, and a depth of the groove being the same as a thickness of the oxygen-free copper gasket. 
 
     
     
       2. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein, the threaded port ( 4 ) constituting the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) is shaped as a third hollow cylinder with an outer surface having a thread formed thereon and an smooth inner surface. 
     
     
       3. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 2 , wherein, a hollow portion of the hollow annulus ( 3 ) is shaped as a circular, an inner diameter of the hollow annulus ( 3 ), a diameter of the circular viewing window ( 2 ) and an inner diameter of the third hollow cylinder of the threaded port ( 4 ) are equal. 
     
     
       4. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein, apertures ( 5 ) are arranged on a top surface of the hollow annulus ( 3 ) of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) and are in axial symmetry with each other, for clamping the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) in place to rotate the whole sample chamber top cover ( 1 ). 
     
     
       5. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 2 , wherein, the first hollow cylinder of the sample chamber base ( 6 ) is provided with the thread ( 8 ) on an inner surface thereof, the thread on the outer surface of the threaded port ( 4 ) is engaged with the thread ( 8 ) on the inner surface of the sample chamber base, an outer diameter of the third hollow cylinder of the threaded port ( 4 ) is the same as a diameter of the internal cavity ( 7 ), and the threaded port ( 4 ) of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) is hermetically connected with the sample chamber base ( 6 ) by screwing into the sample chamber base ( 6 ). 
     
     
       6. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 5 , wherein, the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) and the sample chamber base ( 6 ) are connected by a threaded connection. 
     
     
       7. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein, the oxygen-free copper gasket ( 9 ) is circular and hollow and has a thickness of 3 mm to 5 mm, and is brazed on the bottom surface of the hollow annulus ( 3 ) of the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ). 
     
     
       8. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein the flange cutting edge ( 10 ) is made of titanium, and is in an asymmetrical form with an outside wall steeper than an inside wall. 
     
     
       9. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-free copper gasket ( 9 ) has a width smaller than a straight-line distance from a top of the cutting edge to an outer periphery of the annular groove ( 11 ), and thus the oxygen-free copper gasket ( 9 ) is able to be placed on upper portions of the groove and the cutting edge in an initial use. 
     
     
       10. The laser sample chamber for deep space exploration according to  claim 1 , wherein, the sample chamber top cover ( 1 ) and the sample chamber base ( 6 ) both are made of titanium.